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Shar Labyrinth
Adjacent Zones *Abandoned Mines *Queen's Labyrinth *Veil Rift Lore The origins of the Shar are a closely guarded secret by order of their Queen. When asked about their origins, the Shar will simply smile and not answer. Outsiders believe their tale is yet unknown because it holds a secret weakness that could be used to bring down the Shar Empire. What is known about the Shar, is that the first of their kind were spotted shortly after the Elves made their appearance in Hibernia, long before the Veil was raised. Other than that, the history of the Shar is shrouded in speculation and rumor. Their tale is whispered at a safe distance from Shars' ears, to keep from angering them by discussing what is forbidden. When the Shar first came into existence, they were a weak race. They regarded their neighbors, the Elves, with both fear and distaste. The Shar huddled in groups, hidden in the shadows to avoid discovery. They feared imprisonment or enslavement by the Elves, although they had no proof of such an intention. One Shar, at the time thought to be quite reckless, but later heralded as brave, set off into the wilds of Hibernia to seek out a place for her people. She was gone for almost a year. As time passed, the others thought she had been killed or was lost forever, but that was not the case. When the brave Shar returned, she told the others of a place far from the Elves, where the Shar could live without fear, and grow strong. The others, excited by this idea, followed her to a remote location in Hibernia. There, the Shar spent time slowly increasing their strength and magical abilities in complete isolation. But the solitude did not last. Soon, other inhabitants of Hibernia began exploring. The Shar feared discovery by the Elves and Lurikeens, and by the Firbolgs and Celts who had arrived more recently in Hibernia. As the Shar began to panic and wonder about a way to escape these newly curious explorers, fate lent its hand to them. Conflicts between the Elves and the Firbolgs and Celts had been brewing, and had recently reached an unbearable level. Unwilling to compromise, the Elves decided that they would separate the worlds of magic and nature. They would raise the Veil and retreat into the magical world, leaving the natural one for the Celts and Firbolgs. Hidden from view, the Shar watched the Elves and Lurikeens worked their magic and passed through the veil into the world beyond. The now older female who had discovered the Shar's first home knew that they were creatures of magic like the Elves. She chose her bravest men and women and led them in an attempt to pass through the Veil. Once this group successfully passed through, the Shar abandoned their hidden home and followed their leader into the Veil. Here, they would build their new home far from the Elves and Lurikeens. As creatures of magic, the Shar thrived in a world of pure magic. This made their move into the Veil very fortunate for the Shar, and very unfortunate for the other races of Hibernia. Under the guidance of their self-declared Queen, their skills and strength grew rapidly. Soon their power rivaled that of the Elves. Their previous feelings of weakness and fear dissolved into an attitude of superiority, and a desire to conquer and rule those that were once feared. They turned their attention to their distant neighbors, the Elves and Lurikeens. As part of their plan, the Queen ordered the Shar to build a city in the Otherworld, fit for not only a Queen, but an empire. With their newly-honed magic, the Shar would create a magnificent labyrinth, fit to house their seat of power. By the time the Elves realized that they had moved to the Otherworld, the Shar were too well established and powerful to be easily removed. They were unhappy about the circumstances, but the Elves had no choice but to allow the Shar to stay. Although many Shar believed they were stronger than the Elves, the Shar Queen knew that her people were still at a disadvantage. After all, the Elves had the Lurikeens as their allies. Under the guise of friendship, the Shar Queen made a pact with the Elves. She agreed that her people would stay within the Labyrinth. They would not venture into Elven territory, as long as the Elves stayed away from their Labyrinth. The Elves agreed to the pact, but they were not fooled. They could sense the Shar Queen's evil motives, but knew they didn't have the strength to use force against the Shar at the time. Over time, the Elves and Lurikeens ventured back into the world of Hibernia to aid in the battle against Albion and Midgard. In the meantime, the Shar remained in their Labyrinth, building their power until the time was right for conquest.